A Ranma 1/2 Fanfic

Oct 25/98


By Cid.H


This is my first fic so for the love of god please e-mail
me at **jjbutler@execulink.com.**  Tell me how much you loved it,
or hated it, or maybe you have a recipe for clam chowder you 
wouldn't mind sharing.  If you don't tell me where my mistakes
are, my writing will never get any better.  Let's have some
C&C people!  Just remember, no flames.  I cry easily, and it
takes forever for me to stop!

All characters are owned and copywrited by R. Takahashi.
I would not presume to say I had created these characters, for
doing so would imply that I am a Japanese woman named
R. Takahashi.  And I'm not, so I don't.  Not that there's
anything wrong with that, not at all.  It's just that, well,
I'm a guy, and I have no desire to become a woman.  Not that
anything's wrong with that either.  What you do with your 
own body is your own choice after all...  Just read the damn
fic okay?

Sorry I screwed up the first time posting, here's the plain text version.

Can you guess who's doing the thinking?


                When just knowing Ranma isn't enough


     She sat quietly, alone.  Her task for the day long forgotten,
she resigned herself to staring out the window, letting her mind 
drift for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day... Letting
her mind drift back to him once again.  She sighed, and began to
think to herself.  "Why does life have to be so difficult?  Why couldn't
I fall for a normal person?  Why Ranma?  I shouldn't even be thinking about
him, it's totally innapropriate.  Totally hopeless, too.  What do I 
have to offer anyway?  He's got four beautiful women actively pursuing
him, including Akane."  She wasn't blind after all, any idioit could see
the jealously in Akane's eyes whenever Ranma was on the receiving end of
a glomp from one of his more boisterous pursuers.  Or the pain she tried
desperately to hide after one of they're near legendary blow-ups.  Any 
idioit, except Ranma.

     "They've all got something, some kind of hook with which to catch his
fancy.  Ukyo, she's his best friend.  They spend time together, laughing,
fooling around, being friends.  He cares about her more than most people."
A voice buried deep underneath her own nagging self doubt screamed out, trying
with all it's might to be heard.  And it was, though it finally emerged as a
mere whisper of it's former strength.  "But is it love he feels for her?" It
asked questioningly.  She decided to ignore what the voice was implying;  
giving herself false hopes was a sure-fire way to set oneself up for one hell
of a fall later on, she learned that lesson before.

     "Shampoo.  No denying what her draws are.  Beauty, brains (kinda), and a
fighting spirit so much like his own.  She'll never give up, that stubborn streak
mirrors his as well.  She's the one I know the least about... Quite frankly,
that dosen't bother me one bit."  She halted that train of thought as quickly
as it started.  Too long had she been putting off this conversation with
herself, fearing what she might uncover within the workings of her own mind.
But there was no turing back now, she was going to puzzle out her own emotions
tonight if it drives her insane.  Things were happing in Nerimia, and if she
stood any chance of winning his heart, she would have to do some of her own things soon.  The others knew what they wanted, and went about getting it in they're own way.  She, on the other hand, hadn't even decided what she felt for the young enigma
that was Ranma.  Anger towards the purple bombshell would only cloud her judgement
and cause her to get off track.  That just wouldn't do.  Not tonight.  Because
tonight, she was making her own destiny.  

     She managed to get herself back on track after a few deep breaths, and a 
quick piece of choclate from the open box sitting on her desk.  "Shampoo.
Shampoo...  He worries about her, about what might happen to her if she
returns to her villiage without him.  I've heard him denounce those foolish
Amazon laws with my own ears, yet he still feels partly responsible for 
her situation.  Would he go back with her just to staisfy honor?  Just how
honorable is he anyway?"  She chuckled somewhat bitterly to herself.  "Honorable,
yes indeed.  If he felt Shampoo's life was really in danger from her own people, he
just might go... He might go and leave me behind, never knowing how I felt.
Never knowing... how much I need him.  I do need him, don't I."  It wasn't a
question.  She did want to figure out her feelings towards Ranma; and here she
was, alone, in the dark, for the first time allowing herself to experience the
longing hidden for so long inside of her.  A feeling she couldn't shake whenever
he was near.  A feeling that threatened her own sense of self; the image she
had created for herself so very long ago.  The fledgling voice returned sounding
stronger and louder than before.  "Don't deny yourself this chance at happiness!
Go to him, tell him how your heart feels, tell him how much you care!

     For the first time ever, she was beginning to fell optimisim about the
current situation.  Her mind raced with newborn hope, an euphoric thrill
telling her there was a chance after all.  She had a chance!  Somewhere during
the feeling of wonderment, a face had appeared in a dark corner of her mind.
At first, she simply ignored it, not regarding it as important.  But the 
happier she felt, the larger the face grew, until it had all but blocked out
whatever dreams were forming in her subconcious.  She haden't realized she 
had stood up, but upon recognizing the pretty young girl drifting through
her thoughts, she slumped back down into her chair.  All for nothing.  
Her hopes were so high merely a moment before, but all for nothing.  Akane.
How could she have forgotten Akane?  As the image intensified, all feelings
of elation were washed away like so much used kleenex.   There was a chance
Akane had already won the game.  Won the game, without even really playing.  

     She took a moment to calm herself.  Tonight was not the night to get 
carried away so easily.  She had to look at this from his with an objective eye.
"Ukyo is a nice person; she'll always be his friend.  Shampoo, a comrade in
arms; but not really a threat as far as he's concerned.  But what is it he 
feels for Akane?  I've noticed him peeking at her sometimes, but his expression
is always so unreadable whenever he does it.  Quite the contrast from the normal
Ranma... his emotions are usually as visible as the nose on his face!  What is
he thinking about when he steals a glance?"  The situation was even more 
complicated than she had first assessed.  She was almost positive his feelings
for Ukyo and Shampoo didn't extend past friendship... emhasize almost,
especially in regard to Ukyo.  She knew how he spent time every day taking sidelong
glances at Akane when he was sure she wasn't looking.

     "Why?  What possible reason could there be?" She pondered to herself.

     "Judging by how he acts around her, even when they're getting along, he's always kind of... cautious.  So why risk it?  What could be so important that he's willing to take a beating from her if he's caught?  Why doesn... of course."  The truth, hidden from her sight for almost a year, finally showed itself to her.  "That's it.  All that time I thought he was stalling,  every time he said he didn't know... and he really meant it.  He's undecided!  Ranma's not just protecting their feelings, or even his own honor.  He dosen't know who he loves, or even if he's in love at all!"  For the third moment the voice spoke to her, the difference being this time the sound it carried was one of confidence and strength; it rang loud and clear inside her head, brimming with hope unlike any voice before it.  "You see,
you do have a chance!  Now don't wait too long, someday he will make a decision.
You wouldn't want that to happen without him at least giving you some kind
of consideration as well, now would you?"

     "This is it, I know the truth now.  I think.  Not exactly what I expected, but I'm happy none the less.  But how can I make sure I come out of this the winner?"
A smile slowly found it's way onto her lips.  "By learning from the other's 
mistakes, that's how.  Akane is too short tempered towards him; there's no
trust there, no matter what the situation.  Shampoo uses force... love potions
and such.  Even Ukyo has been known to push him a little when she dosne't like
what he's doing.  So there's my answer, staring me right in the face.  Be gentle.
Ranma dosen't like being ordered around, I suppose I learned that the hard
way as well.  So I have to listen to him with an open mind and not be judgemental.
I know he respects me, even if he dosen't like me from time to time.  That will
all change, though.  I'll talk to him tommrow after school, explain my motives
to him, and let him draw his own conclusions.  Ranma's a decent guy, he'll
understand me.  We're quite similar, after all.   Both dedicated to our own 'art', both misunderstood by everyone around us, and both truly alone in this world."

     "Tommrow Ranma, things will change, I promise you.  You will see that I'm
the best choice for you, the only choice.  Tommrow you'll know the truth... 
You'll know that I love you Ranma Saotome."

     Ninomiya Hinako stood from behind her teacher desk, eyes filled with 
new hope, and a promise that come hell, high water, or irate fiancees,
Ranma and herself would be happy together, forever.  There was risk, of course.
If the principal found out about Ms. Hinako's situation, she could be fired on
the spot, and have her teachers license revoked.  She had spent years at a greulling
teachers college to gain her position; teaching was a part of her soul!
And let's not forget the other fiancees. They are all accomplished martial artists,
(and prone to fits of violent, borderline homicidal behaviour).  

     All she needed, though, was a quick moment to reflect on recent events.
"Damn the risk, this is simply more important!"  Ninomiya blinked at her own
admission squealed out loud with her high pitched, eleven year old voice.  Had she
decided to possibly forsake her own teaching career in order to pursue Ranma that
quickly?  She smiled to herself, carefully placing her crayons back into the desk
drawer.  Leaning back into the chair, She ran her fingers through her long, raven hair; pushing away locks that always managed to find their way into her face.  They didn't bother her in the least, but she'd never find her way out of the classroom with a face full of hair.

     "My life and my career both hang in the balance now.  It's quite the gamble...
But he's worth it.  Love is worth it.  And I love him."  She took a deep breath,
held it, and exhaled slowly.

     "High time I did something about it."

     Ninomiya stood from her chair and peered into the darkened classroom to survey
her territory one last time before heading home.  Tommrow was going to be a big day
indeed; a day of new beginnings, a new understanding, and maybe a real chance at
happiness for the two of them, together.





Did you guess who it was? I tried to be as vague as possible... I figure most
people will guess Nabiki or Kasumi before Ms. Hinako even occurs to them.  
I for one would love to read about this match up in someone's fic.  If you 
know of a fic where Ranma and Hinako come together (in a non-lemon way),
please let me know, I BEG YOU!!!

Thanks for reading,

Cid.H - jjbutler@execulink.com